Block system for railroads.



No. 805,856. I PATBNTED NOV. 28, 1905. A. N. IRELAND & J. T. REESE.BLOCK SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 6, 1905.

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PATENTED NOV. 28, 1905.

A. N. IRELAND & J. T. REESE.

BLOCK SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.6, 1905.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ANDREW. I. GRAHAM m. FHO'U-LIMDGRAPMERS. WASHINGYON u. c.

No. 805,856. PATENTED NOV. 28, 1905. A. N. IRELAND & J. T. EEEsE.

BLOCK SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 6, 1905.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

No. 805,856. PATENTED NOV. 28, 1905. A. N. IRELAND & J. T. REESE.

BLOCK SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS. APPLICATION FILED APR. 6, 1905.

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UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT N. IRELAND AND JOHN T. REESE, OF SIOUX CITY, IOWA.

BLOCK SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28, 1905.

Application filed April 6, 1905. Serial No. 254,091.

To all whom it may concern.-

of signals communicated to engineers of trains and to operators in thevarious stations informing them at stated intervals of space of theprogress of trains. The signals are so arranged as to indicate to theengineer when approaching a station whether the track to the nextstation is clear and to warn the operator at the next station of thetrains approach.

Reference is now had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of thespecification, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the line ofroad between two stations, showing the arrangement of wires and signalsand their connection between the stations and trains. Fig. 2 is asideelevation of outline of engine and section of track, showing means ofcommunicating the signal to the engine. Fig. 8 is a rear end elevationof engine, showing the arrangement of signals in the cab and across-section of track. Fig. 4 is an enlarged View of coils, hammer,gong, watch-clock, and switch constituting the engineers signals andindicated in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of section of pilot ofengine and a section of track, showing means of electrical connectionbetween the signals and engines. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of part ofoperators room in the station, showing the signal-boards and theirconnection with means of operation.

Referring now to the illustrations, in which like parts are designatedby similar letters of reference, A is the railway-track, extendingbetween two stations, which constitutes a block.

B and B are engines of trains approaching the respective stations C andC.

D, D, D, and D are blocks of wood or other suitable material secured tothe ends of the ties of the track, having a covering of steel or otherelectrical conductor and adapted to come in contact with the metallicarms 5 and b, secured, respectively, to the sides of the pilots of theengines. The arms are pivotally secured at one end to the pilots and atthe free ends have slots Z), in which are adjusted braces 6, whichsupport the free ends of the arms and are pivotally secured to the pilotabove the arm. A Wheel 6, with a notched surface, is secured to the arm6 and by pressing upon the block D is adapted to clear its surface ofsnow or ice. To the metallic covering of the block D is secured a wirea, which is supported upon poles a adjacent to the track and enters thestation C, where it is connected with the instruments, as O, whichoperate the signal-board, as presently described. To the arm I) on thepilot of the engine is attached a wire a, which extends into the cab andis connected with the electromagnetic coils c c and magnetic battery 0,whence it returns to ground by means of the axle of the drivers and therail. When the arm 6 of the engine B strikes the contactblock D, theelectric circuit is closed and the engineer is warned of his approach tothe station by the sounding of the gong E in his cab. A bar E ispivotally secured at the center to the front of the cab-frame,'and oneend is adapted to catch and hold a hammer E in the manner shown in Fig.4, the hammer being pivotally secured at the center to the front of thecab-frame. When the electrical circuit is closed, the attraction of thecoils pulls down the end of the bar E and releases the hammer,which isforced, by means of aspring 0, against the gong. The opposite end of thehammer strikes a Watch-clock F and registers the hour. After the enginehas passed the hammer is again restored to its connection with the barE. A movable weight 0 at the other end of the bar provides means forregulating the amount of electric current necessary to attract the bar,and a pin 6 inserted in the frame of the cab beneath the end of the barprevents the weighted end from dropping below a horizontal position. Aswitch F is provided upon the wire a, by which the current may bedisconnected when the engine is engaged in switching and no warning isdesired.

When the train enters the block and the engineer is warned of hisapproach to the station IIO G, pivotally secured to the station in theusual manner. The wire a is connected with the electromagnetic coils c"c in the operators room and with the binding-posts ff of the metallicbar H on the lever H, whence it communicates with the ground. The leverH is pivotally secured to some stationary part of the station at one endand in the center has a slot h, in which is secured a cord G, passingover the pulleysf' f, and is secured to the signal-board Gr. A metallicL-shaped lever g is pivotally secured at the angle to a stationary partof the station, one arm extending horizontally under the coils c 0",with the free end of the arm adapted to press upon the free end of thelever H and hold it down in its normal position, thus retaining thesignalboard in its normally elevated position. hen the electric currentis closed, the attraction of the coils c" raises the horizontal arm ofthe lever g and releases the free end of the lever H, permitting thesignal-board to fall of its weight and opening the circuit. The dottedlines in Fig. 6 indicate the relative positions of the parts when theboard falls. A guide it, in which the lever H moves, holds the lever inplace and prevents a sudden release of the lever from throwing it backtoo far. A switch z'is provided in the wire ra-near the coils 0", inorder that the current may be disconnected. After the train has left thestation the board is restored to its former position. The wire a is alsoconnected with a telephone I by means of a wire z", a switch 7' beingprovided in the connecting-wire, and when a train is in the block andthe line open the wire a may be used as a means of conveying verbalmessages.

As the train approaches the station C the pilot of the engine B willstrike the contactblock D', to which is connected the wire a", whichcommunicates with the next station, where the same means are employed toreg ister the trains approach. A wire a, extending from the nextstation, is connected with similarinstruments, as L, in the station C.When the train approaches from the opposite direction, the pilot of theengine B strikes the block D and the current is closed by means of thewire (0 connected with similar instruments, as M, in the station C. Asthe train approaches the station C the pilot of the engine strikes thecontact-block D, to which is connected the wire (6 extending to the nextstation,where the same signal is employed. A wire a, coming from thatstation, is connected with similar instruments, as N, in the station C,and all stations on the line of road are similarly provided. Abridge-wire Z connects the wire a with the telephone 1 in the station C,and a similar wire Z connects the wire a with the telephoneI in thestation C. A bracket K is adapted to support a signal-light in front ofwhich the signal-board drops when released, and the light is displayedthrough the glass in the slot is in the usual manner. G and K arerespectively another signal-board and bracket similarly used in thestation C.

The line of road between each station con stituting a block, it will beseen that the engineer of each train is warned of his entrance into theblock by the sounding of the gongin his cab and that the station at theopposite end of the block is simultaneously warned, of his approach bythe signal-board in that station. As the board is not restored to itsformer position and the circuit closed until the train passes, theoperator in the station will not permit another train to enter the blockuntil the block is clear, and if the engineer of the approaching trainreceives no warning of the gong as he passes the contact-block herealizes that another train going in the same direction is still in theblock between the stations ahead. There is thus a double check upon alltrains on the road. If the operator whose duty it is to restore thesignal-boards after the train passes neglects this duty and the lineconnected with the signals is open, the responsibility is easily fixed,while the presence of another train in the same block will be detectedby the engineer of the approaching train.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a railway block system, an electric battery, electromagnetic coilsand a gong secured in the cab of an engine, a hammer pivotally securedtherein and means connected therewith whereby the hammer is released andallowed to strike the gong when the electric current is closed, groundconnection for said battery and coils, an arm secured to one end of thepilot of the engine and adapted to come in contact with a block securedto the end of the railway-ties, metallic connection between said arm andsaid battery and coils, in combination with a block having a metalliccovering secured to the ties and adapted for contact with the arm on thepilot of the engine, a signal-board in the railway-station, metallicconnection between said signal -board and said block and electric meansprovided in said station for operating said board when the arm on theengine strikes the block and the elec tric current is closed,substantially as described.

2. Ina railway block system, asignal-board pivot-ally secured to therailway-station, a lever pivotally secured to the station and connectedwith the signal-board for normally holding the board in an elevatedposition, electromagnetic coils in said station adapted to operatesaidlever and release the signalboard when the electric current isclosed, a metallic block secured to the railway-ties, metallicconnection between said block and said coils, and ground connection forsaid coils, in combination with an electric battery and electromagneticcoils in the cab of an engine on the railway, a signal-gong operated bysaid battery and coils, a metallic arm secured to the engine and adaptedfor contact with the the electric current is closed, means for disconnecting the electric current and means'for connecting said wire witha telephone in the station, in combination with a metallic arm securedto an engine of the road adapted to strike said block when the enginepasses, a signal in the cab of the engine, a wire connecting said armwith the signal, electric means for operating said signal when said armand block are in contact and the electric currentis closed, and means insaid engine for disconnecting said current, substantially as described.

4. In a railway signal system, a metallic arm pivotally-secured at oneend to the pilot of an engine, the free end of said arm having a slot, abrace adjusted in said slot and pivotally secured to the pilot, a wheelwith a notched surface secured to the arm and adapted to press upon thesurface of a contact-block secured to the ties, a signal in the cab ofthe engine, metallic connection between said arm and said signal,electric means for operating said signal when the electric current isclosed by contact of the arm with said block, in com-V bination with ablock secured to the ties of the railway, a signal-board in therailway-station, electric means for operating said board when theelectric current is closed, and metallic connection between the blockand signalboard whereby the electric current is closed, the signal-boardoperated and the signal in the cab given when the arm strikes saidblock, substantially as described.

5. In a railway block system, an electric battery, electromagnetic coilsand a watch-clock secured in the cab of an engine, a hammer pivotallysecured therein and means connected therewith whereby the hammer isreleased and allowed to strike the clock when the electric current isclosed, thus registering the time, ground connection for said batteryand coils, an arm secured to the pilot of the engine and adapted to comein contact with a block secured to the end of the railway-ties, metallicconnection between said arm and said battery and coils, in combinationwith a metallic block secured to the ties and adapted for contact withthe arm on the pilot of the engine, a signal-board in therailroad-station, metallic connection between said signal-board and theblock and electric means provided in said station for operating saidboard when the arm on the engine strikes the block and the electriccurrent is closed, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto affixed our signatures in thepresence of two witnesses.

ALBERT N. IRELAND. J NO. T. REESE.

Witnesses:

H. O. GARDINER, W. O. HUTcHINs.

